PokeVirus
by G0LD1734
Summary: Ikarishipping! A leisurely visit in Veilstone City turns into a nightmare as Paul saves Dawn yet getting himself injured in the process.
1. Chapter 1

Author's Note: Had an idea about this for a good bit of time. Yeah, school's been tough. I've got homework and outside-of-school activities. I know I'm supposed to making other chapters but this is the one that sticks out the most in my mind. This story is a slight remake of my first fail fanfic,"Secrets Left Untold" but my own ideas. No falling down canyons/cliffs even though it's hilarious. This takes place after the Sinnoh League so they're traveling back to Twinleaf Town. Ugh, and there is OOCness. How else will this be romantic? And now by the power vested in me, I declare this story "PokeVirus"

**Disclaimer: Pokemon is too awesome for me to own it.**

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"Hello, Ash. Back from the Pokemon League, correct?" The pretty Nurse Joy of Veilstone City grinned at the group of teens that traveled through Sinnoh. The young nurse tossed back her long pink hair and flashed her famous smile. Ash smiled back and said,"Yeah, can you heal my Poke-" when Brock yelled,"Ah! The brilliant smile on your face warms up my very existence!" The former rock-type gym leader splayed his hands in a gesture in front of the nurse who took a step back, surprised. **POP! **A purple toad Pokemon known as Croagunk sneaked out of it's Pokeball and his hands glowed purple with poison. "Croooa!" With a single jab, Brock was paralyzed on the floor, Croagunk pulling him away, croaking,"Cro oh oh oh."

Nurse Joy, Ash, and Dawn watched sheepishly as Pokemon and trainer disappeared from view. Ash rubbed his head and continued,"Ah, anyway. My Pokemon are in need of some healing. Think you can do it?" Nurse Joy stifled a laugh and teased,"I think I can handle it, Ash. Don't worry, they'll be safe with me." Ash unhooked the Pokeballs from his belt and laid them on the table. A yellow mouse Pokemon known as Pikachu climbed off Ash's shoulder, leaping onto the counter. The nurse whisked them away into the treatment room. Ash turned to Dawn and said,"So, since Brock is gone, what are we gonna have for lunch?"

But Dawn wasn't listening. She was riffling through her backpack for some item of sudden interest. Suddenly, the machine known as a Poketch began buzzing on Dawn's wrist. Her backpack fell to the floor and tons of stuff came tumbling out but she didn't care. Her attention was pointed directly to her wrist. Her expression brightened when she saw the incoming call was from non other than Paul. Dawn squeaked happily and began combing her hair with her fingers. Once she was satisfied with her unruly hair, Dawn jabbed the button on the watch and chirped,"Hi Paul!" On the small screen of the Poketch, Paul smiled and said,"Hey Dawn. Meet me in the forest by Veilstone?" The two had begun dating after Paul's defeat at the Pokemon League. It was her after the battle that had stood by his side.

Dawn was about to reply when Ash interrupted,"Who are ya talking to? Oh! Hey Paul!" The still idiotic Ash got in front of Dawn and smiled cheekily at his rival. Paul smirked and raised his hand in greeting. Dawn placed a hand on Ash's cheek and pushed him away. She giggled and promised,"I'll see you there in a bit, Paul. Count on it!" Paul nodded his head and the call closed with a beep. Dawn knelt down and shoved the spilled out contents of her bag back inside. Hauling on the backpack, she turned to leave when Ash said,"Be careful, Dawn. Be back here later by dinner time." The two had a brother-sister relationship after traveling together for so long. Dawn laughed and teased,"You sound like my mom, Ash!"

Ash laughed and put a hand on her shoulder. "Yeah, yeah. Just be safe. Those woods are filled with wild Pokemon. Have a good time with Paul. See ya!" Dawn nodded and exited the Pokemon Center. Skipping down the stone grey streets of Veilstone City, she made her way out of civilization and into the wilderness. The sounds of nature filled her ears. Pokemon leaped from tree to tree as they chattered among themselves. Dawn glanced around for a sign of Paul when her eyes landed on an Oran berry bush. The large blue berries that grew in bushels made the leaves droop under their weight. Dawn grinned at the overloaded plant and tramped on over, casually plucking one of it's vine.

She tossed it into the air and caught it in her mouth, her teeth breaking the slightly hard surface. The delicious explosion of flavor had her smacking her lips. Grabbing 2 more, Dawn lobs them into the air and is about to catch them when a voice says,"Nice catch." Dawn spins around to face the voice when the two berries plop back down on her shoulders, splattering juice. Dawn squeals,"Oh no! My clothes!" and begins swiping the stains. Luckily it only got on her black shirt and the blue splotches blended in pretty well. Dawn turned to face him and whined,"Oh, Paul. You made me get my shirt dirty." Paul smirked and said,"So? Blue is a nice color on you."

Dawn giggles and snatches another berry. She flings it at Paul who sees the flying fruit. He opens his mouth and it sails past his teeth. Paul chomps down on the berry and smirks. Dawn is laughing now, her laughter echoing through the forest. Her hands still grasping for berries as she looked happily at Paul. Her attention was fixed onto Paul, she didn't notice the rustling of the foliage. A loud growl was heard and both froze. Suddenly, a large lion-like Pokemon leaped out from it's hiding spot. It was the Gleam Eyes Pokemon, Luxray! The Luxray was much larger than any the two have ever seen but there was something wrong with it.

It's black mane was dull and drooping like it had lost it's usual lusciousness. It twitched involuntarily at times like it was hopped up on sugar. White foam oozed from it's mouth and the Luxray's pupils seemed enlarged. Dawn squeaked in surprise and Paul muttered,"Don't. Make. A. Move." Too late. Dawn took a shaky step away from the crazed Luxray and a twig under her boot snapped. Luxray turned it's head and growled at the sight of Dawn. Dawn was visibly trembling as Luxray stared her down. It arched it's back and Paul understood what it was doing. It was going to attack Dawn. He wanted to scream at Dawn to run but she was frozen under the glare the Luxray shot at her. Time slowed down as the Luxray pounced. Paul ran in what seemed like slow motion to Dawn.

Paul luckily reached Dawn first but in the nick of time. He tackled Dawn and both teens tumbled to the ground. Luxray made a split-second decision and pounced onto Paul. Pokemon and human struggled to maintain control but Luxray was too heavy and strong. Dawn pulled herself up and watched horrified as Luxray's teeth bit into Paul's leg. A blood-curdling scream pierced the air but Dawn wasn't sure if it was her or Paul. Blood was already seeping from the bite. Dawn screamed,"GO AWAY! Leave!" It was just like when Paul pissed off Dawn before by not remembering her name. A planet exploded into 4 pieces and Dawn's eyes seemed to glow red with anger.

Luxray paused and ran off like a drunk person, smacking into a tree during it's flee. Dawn stared at it as it turned tail and turned worriedly to Paul. The trainer was gripping his leg, his teeth clenched in pain. Dawn gaped at the horrifying wound. The uneven fangs of the Luxray cut right through Paul's pants like it was paper. You could see where each individual tooth had chomped down. Pieces of ragged cloth were sort of nailed into the skin because of the Luxray. Dawn held up her wrist and punched the buttons, searching for the Pokemon Center's number. Jabbing the button, her heartbeat pounded in her ears as the call rang.

In the Pokemon Center, Ash is picking up his Pokeballs. A happy Pikachu climbs onto his shoulders and leans on his hat. Ash says,"Thanks a lot, Nurse Jo-" when her computer begins to sing a happy jingle. Nurse Joy raises an eyebrow and exclaims,"It's Dawn!" Nurse Joy uses the mouse to click "Answer" and Dawn's shrill voice shouts,"Nurse Joy, come quick!" Ash leans on the counter and says,"Whoa, Dawn! What's wrong?" Nurse Joy says calmly,"What is the problem, Dawn?" **Zzzz.** The image of Dawn goes blurry and so does the audio. Dawn yells,"In the forest! *buzz* Attacked by *buzzz* Luxray!" Nurse Joy's eyes widened at the word "attacked" She says hurriedly,"I'll be there soon, Dawn!" Ash shakes his head and says,"What's the matter?" Nurse Joy is pulling on a jacket and replies,"She says a Luxray attacked them! Ash, you better come with!" Ash shivers and exclaims,"We gotta hurry!" Together, they speed out of the Pokemon Center, heading straight for the woods.

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Author's Note: Ending it here just so I can get this out. I know.. This first chapter sorta sucks but I promise the quality will get better after all my mountains of homework disappear. Anyway, leave a review and maybe, favorite/follow if you've enjoyed the first (sucky) chapter of this new story! K thnx bye.


	2. Chapter 2

Author's Note: I'm so happy that people like this story and my others! I started out thinking that nobody except for my friends will read this but I was proven wrong. I will reply to your reviews if you leave them. I have two reviews to answer and I will do it right now.

Reply to writindownsouth: Thanks for the really kind words! It really drives me more when people leave nice reviews. Thanks again!

Reply to PorcelainDollxx: I agree, Paul does need to be OOC at times. But I'm cool if you make him a cold jerk. Also, make your review as long as you like! I don't care if you're rambling on a bit. I enjoy the feedback. I honestly thought that people would dislike that I jumped right into the action. So thank you again!

Just to say, Pokemon talk "_like this."  
_

Also, here is everyone's age.

**Ash: 16**

**Dawn: 16  
**

**Paul: 16  
**

**Brock: 17  
**

**Disclaimer: I own a copy of Pokemon Fire Red, Heart Gold, Platinum, and Black. But that doesn't mean I actually own Pokemon.**

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Dawn had no idea what to do. Blood from the horrifying bite on Paul's leg stained the dirt ground. Paul's eyes were clenched shut and his fingers gripped the grass. She covered her mouth with her hands and whispered,"I-I'm so sorry, Paul. It's all m-my fault." Tears spilled out of her eyes and she turned away. Dawn sobs softly but it ends when Paul weakly says,"It's okay, Dawn. I'm fine." Dawn spins around and cries,"You know it's not all right! You're hurt because of my stupid actions!" Paul pulls himself into a sitting position and pats the ground next to him. Taking the message, Dawn plops down miserably. Tears still trickle down her face but Paul wipes them away.

Paul still strokes her cheek and Dawn grabs his hand. She gives it a gentle squeeze but lets go and removes her red scarf. "H-Here. Let's use this." Paul nods and lifts his leg slight but still grunts in pain. Dawn carefully wraps the wound, making it tight to apply pressure. She sits back on her heels and murmurs,"That should hold until Nurse Joy arrives." A lump forms in her throat and she tries swallowing to make it go away. The red scarf was already dark with blood.

Nurse Joy and Ash sped through the forest. Ash yelled as he ran,"Where could they be?" Nurse Joy looked over her shoulder and answered,"I'm not quite sure, Ash! The call lost connection before Dawn could tell me!" Ash stopped and Nurse Joy came to a halt. Ash cupped his hands in front of his mouth and hollered,"Dawn! Paul! Where are you?!" He waited for an agonizing matter of seconds before a faint voice replied,"Ash! We're over here! Come quick!" Nurse Joy and Ash ran in the direction of her voice, tripping over tree roots during their haste to reach Dawn.

Dawn watched nervously for a sign of Nurse Joy or Ash. A snap of a twig, rustling of leaves, anything! Pretty soon, Nurse Joy burst out of the greenery with Ash in hot pursuit. Nurse Joy took a second to breath and gasped,"What.. is.. wrong?" Ash ran over to Dawn and exclaimed,"Dawn! Are you okay?" He grabbed her by the shoulders and inspected her for injuries but she pushed him away. Dawn yelped,"A wild Luxray attacked us! Paul is hurt!" Ash looked shocked and said,"Why would a Luxray want to attack you?" Paul grasped his leg and groaned,"There was something wrong with it. It looked like it had gone crazy."

Nurse Joy gasped like everyone just dropped dead on the floor but forced a smile. Her eyes darted back and forth but she calmly said,"Let's have a look at that bite." She dropped to her knees next to Paul and carefully unwrapped the scarf, grimacing at the damp blood that rubbed onto her fingers. Dawn peeked at the wound on Paul's leg and almost fainted. The whole things was a bloody mess, deep uneven lines gouged into his skin courtesy of that Luxray's razor sharp teeth. It was a good thing Dawn didn't eat much. She would've ended up losing her lunch. Nurse Joy prompted,"How does it feel?" Paul spoke through clenched teeth,"Like I took a flaming knife to the leg."

The nurse nodded and probed the jagged flesh, drawing a grunt out of Paul. Nurse Joy looked grim as she replaced the makeshift bandage. She straightened up and said,"I doubt you can stand, much less walk on that leg. But you'll be just fine when we get back to the Pokemon Center." Dawn looked uncertain as she murmured,"Are you sure, Nurse Joy?" Ash put a hand on her shoulder and reassured,"Paul will be okay, Dawn. Nurse Joy can handle this." Nurse Joy nodded and extended her hands to Paul. Paul grabbed her hands and tried pulling himself up but fell back onto one knee with a grunt. Ash tramped over and held onto his rival's arm. Paul must've been too tired to care because he didn't pull away.

Together, they managed to drag Paul up but he still didn't put any weight on his leg. It looked like some strange three-legged race. Dawn perked up and exclaimed,"I've got an idea!" The others watched curiously but caught on when the girl flung a Pokeball, shouting,"Mamoswine! Help us out!" **POP!** The capsule flew open and out came the Twin Tusk Pokemon. The mammoth-like Pokemon gave his head a shake as if glad to be free of his prison. Dawn's once disobedient Pokemon turned to stare at them and grunted,"Mam mamo swine?"

Dawn quickly exclaimed,"Mamoswine, we need your help. Help us get Paul to the Pokemon Center. Please?" Mamoswine gave a puff of icy wind and snorted,"_Are you doubting my strength, Mistress Dawn? I can carry the boy._" With that, he sat down and offered his back. Dawn scrambled onto his furry back and helped Paul onto her Pokemon. Paul laid down with his head in Dawn's lap as Nurse Joy and Ash stood next to Mamoswine. Ash exclaimed,"I'm gonna head back to the Pokemon Center and wake up Brock from his Croagunk induced nap. He might be of some help! See you guys there." Ash sped ahead while Nurse Joy said,"Just follow me, Dawn."

Dawn leaned forward and whispered in Mamoswine's ear,"Okay, Mamoswine. Follow Nurse Joy." The mammoth Pokemon began stomping after Nurse Joy, his heavy footsteps shaking the ground. Dawn stroked Paul's hair and watched terrified as more blood dripped onto Mamoswine's back. Paul's eyes were closed as he muttered,"Well, today was fun." Dawn laughed weakly as she replied,"Yeah, well... No need to worry, though." Paul opened his eyes and challenged,"What makes you say that?" Dawn pondered over it for a bit then leaned over and gave Paul a kiss. She pulls off of him and laughs at his suprised face.

"Oh, shut up. Don't talk like that, mister." Paul smirked lightly and his eyes drifted closed. Dawn smiled down on Paul. Too bad she didn't notice his slight coughing. Or the fact his lips were warm when she kissed him. Dawn didn't question it. Paul still wasn't used to Dawn's kisses. Well, neither was she, actually. Soon, Mamoswine was stomping through the stone streets of Veilstone city. People stopped to gape at Mamoswine like he was some parade. They pointed and whispered among themselves as the mammoth Pokemon passed by. Nurse Joy called out,"Pay no attention to us! Just get back to your business!"

The red roof of the Pokemon Center was in sight. Nurse Joy rushed ahead and Mamoswine parked his big ol' self in front. Dawn was getting ready to slip off Mamoswine's back Fred Flintstone style but froze when she heard a rough coughing fit. Dawn turned around and stammered,"P-Paul?" Paul was covering his mouth with a fist and coughing. He glanced up and said,"I'm fine." He removed his hand and tried for a smile.

With a sliding sound, the automatic glass doors of the Pokemon Center slid open and out came Nurse Joy and a Chansey. Chansey's eyes widened as she spotted Mamoswine. Chansey pointed at Mamoswine and asked,"_Oh my. Is that Pokemon the one in need of medical attention?_" Nurse Joy stifled a laugh and responded,"No, no. Not Mamoswine. It's the trainer on Mamoswine's back." Mamoswine grunted as he stomped around, revealing Paul and Dawn. Chansey lifted her bubblegum pink arms and hummed,"Chan..."

Chansey's eyes glowed bright blue and the same brilliant hue enveloped Paul. Paul looked fascinated at his glowing hands as Chansey brought her arms higher. Dawn understood at one what Chansey was doing. Chansey still hummed as she concentrated her Psychic to lift Paul. Chansey stepped backwards into the Pokemon Center as Paul floated after her. Dawn slipped off Mamoswine and turned to him, pointing a Pokeball at him and saying,"Job well done, Mamoswine. Thank you." Mamoswine grunted in reply as the red beam encased him once again. She turned around just in time to see her red scarf unravel from Pau's leg and slip to the ground.

Dawn gaped as blood still rolled off his leg. Chansey's Psychic may have Paul immobilized but blood wasn't solid. She scrambled forward and picked up her scarf, wrinkling her nose as she felt the scarf was damp with blood. Dawn still stared at her scarf as her legs drove her inside. She looked up to see Paul seemingly asleep on one of the couches. Nurse Joy and Chansey were missing but Brock was by Paul's side. The breeder's hair was squashed to one side, his forever closed eyes having dark circles underneath. He didn't look like he had a very good nap thanks to Croagunk.

Brock studied the wound like it was an interesting book. His eyebrows furrowed as he thought. Brock announced to no one in particular,"We've got to stitch that up." Dawn squeaked and yelped,"Stitches?" Brock turned around and smiled sleepily. "It will be fine, Dawn. He is sleeping after all." Brock reached over to a table where an open medical case was propped open. He picked up a green bottle of medicine and read the label. Brock rolled up Paul's pants leg to reveal the bite and dabbed the medicine onto the bleeding wound. Paul stirred slightly in his sleep at the sting of the medicine. Brock nodded for some random reason and searched through the medical case.

Brock picked up a tiny silver needle and weighed several spools of string, settling on a strong string. He looped the string through the needle and turned to Paul, a small bead of sweat popping on his forehead. Dawn squeezed her scarf causing more blood to ooze but she didn't care. Dawn watched painfully as the needle slid its way through Paul's skin. She cringed on his behalf but Paul's face remained calm as he slept. It seemed like forever until Brock moved back, admiring his handiwork. The wound was closed but it still looked gruesome, stitched up and bloody. Brock was about to say something when Paul's eyes drifted open and he mumbled,"Wha- What happened?"

Brock smiled and joked,"So the zombie wakes. Your leg is stitched up but you still shouldn't put any weight on it." Paul nodded and Dawn squealed,"Paul! You're awake!" She ran over and glomped him. Paul chuckled and murmured,"Troublesome girl.." Brock howled,"Why can't I find love?! Gah, whatever. Anyway, Paul. Is Reggie in Veilstone? He might need to know you're hurt." Paul scowled at the mention of his brother and grumbled,"Don't bother. He's at a breeder convention somewhere in Kanto." Dawn pulled off herself off Paul and pursed her lips.

Paul swung his legs off the couch and cringed. Dawn protested,"Paul! You shouldn't be up!" Paul took a step and stumbled, almost falling but regaining his feet. He made it a few feet but stopped when coughing racked his body. Dawn stuttered,"P-Paul?" Paul stood there, his fist to his mouth. The coughing was now more rough than before. He hacked like he had swallowed dust and pulled his hand away. Paul's fist glistened with dark red blood. He gaped at it like it was fascinating and murmured,"Oh..." Then he collapsed on the floor. "PAUL!"

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Author's Note: Well that's a sort of cliffhanger. Woot! Finally out! Anyway, I'm excited for my 4 day weekend and the new book, The Mark of Athena! Super pumped! YEAH! Anyway, leave a review if you've enjoyed and maybe follow/favorite this story or yours truly! Please? It makes my e-mail inbox happy! K thnx bye.


	3. Chapter 3

Author's Note: Well, here's another chapter. I've been writing these during school and people are like,"What you writing there?" And I just close it and say,"It's nothing." I only say that cause' at my school, if you like Pokemon, BOOP! Automatic nerd. I'm not afraid to hide my Pokenerdiness from my friends but not to random people. Meh, enough bout' my life. Now we plunge back into the Pokemon Universe. But first, I reply back to two people who reviewed the last chapter.

writindownsouth: I got the Mark of Athena a while ago and I've already finished it! Haha, once you get it, you never put it down. Funny you mentioned that the story made you want to be a doctor or something. That's just one of my thoughts for my future. Thank you for reviewing a lot. *gives you a virtual hug*

PorcelainDollxx: I know, right? I have no idea where Troublesome became Paul's pet name for Dawn. Maybe some random person in the fandom decided,"You know what? Dawn is now hence forth Troublesome!" Haha. And no, I haven't seen Contagion. I wanted to watch it but was too lazy to drag myself to the theaters. Thanks for the kind words. Here, have an Internet cookie. *hands you cookie*

And to both of you, I'm really happy that there are people who return to my stories that don't actually know me in real life. Also, shout outs to Brianna Summers and eeveeluvr. All of you are amazing, coming on back to my stories and leaving positive reviews. Once again, thank you!

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"PAUL!" Dawn dashed over to where Paul collapsed on the floor. Time seemed to be messing with her. She felt like she was running through syrup. Dawn thought angrily,"Dear Dialga. I swear if this is some kind of joke, you have a twisted sense of humor." Ages later, Dawn was kneeling next to his side. She grasped his hand and frowned at the heat radiating from his fingers. Paul must've had a fever because his fingers burned like an oven. Paul lay on his side, his purple hair splayed across his face. His breathing was shallow and a thin line of blood trickled down his mouth. Dawn's eyebrows furrowed and she gave his unconscious body a shake but got not response. Dawn cried,"Don't you do this to me, Paul Shinji!"

The sight of Paul's limp form made her go berserk. Dawn clamped his hot hand between her bloody hands and cried,"R-Remember what y-you told me? When one life m-meets another life, s-something will b-b-be born!" She shouted the last part and broke down in tears. Brock came over and put a reassuring hand on her shoulder. Dawn shuddered as she sobbed, grasping Paul's hand like a lifeline. Brock looked grim as he muttered,"I better find Nurse Joy. Stay here with Paul." Just as he said that, Nurse Joy walked in, holding a tray where Pikachu and several Pokeballs sat. She looked cheerful like Paul wasn't unconscious on the floor. Nurse Joy chirped,"Have you seen Ash? All his Pokemon are heal-" when her eyes laid on Paul.

Her sentence drifted off abruptly and her oceanic eyes widened. Nurse Joy lost her grip on the tray which fell to the ground, Pikachu and the Pokeballs bounced off in different directions. Pikachu flopped to the floor with an indiginant,"Pika!" but he shut up when he also saw Paul. Nurse Joy looked horrified as she whispered,"It's started... Dawn... Step away from Paul." Dawn just tightened her grip on Paul's hand, tears streaming down her face as she whimpered,"N-No! P-Please!" Brock frowned sadly and murmured,"Let him go." Dawn became hysterical, clinging to Paul and screaming,"Help him! Don't just stand there! Do something!"

Brock started,"But Dawn.." but Dawn shook her head. Brock sighed and forcefully ripped her fingers from Paul's. Dawn kicked and screamed but Brock was too strong for the petite girl. The former rock type Gym leader had an iron grip on her fragile wrist. He pulled her away as Dawn struggled against him, reaching out for Paul and screaming. Tears stained her pale cheeks and her midnight blue hair was messed up. Dawn cried,"Why?! Why are you doing this?!" Brock shook his head sadly and murmured,"I'm sorry." Dawn gave him such a distressed look and he hesitated.

Dawn finally realized that Brock wasn't budging. Not even her famous puppy eyes could persuade him. So she pulled an all-time classic. Dawn made herself go limp like a noodle. Brock sighed in exasperation. "Dawn, don't make this more difficult." Dawn stuck out her tongue and continued acting like a whiny kid in a grocery store. Tears traced her bitter face as she shook her head lightly. "No..." She closed her eyes and the exhaustion from struggling took over. Soon she was out cold like Paul was. Nurse Joy watched sadly as Brock hauled up the sleeping girl and carried her away like a loving father would.

Nurse Joy stood there as Brock settled Dawn on a couch. The nurse asked,"You didn't get any of Paul's blood on your hands, did you?" Brock replied,"No, I didn't. I cleaned away all the blood before stitching up the wound. Why do you ask?" Nurse Joy hesitated and was about to answer when Ash entered with a slice of pizza in hand. "Hey guys! How is- Uh. Oh." Ash surveyed the scene. His eyes drifted from Paul, Nurse Joy, Brock, and settled on Dawn. The young Coordinator looked sad and frail, fidgeting in her sleep. Ash's eyes softened as he heard Dawn whimper in her sleep. A nightmare probably plagued her dreams.

Ash whispered,"So. What's the deal with Paul?" Nurse Joy looked like she held a dark secret but replied quietly,"I'll tell you later but first, we can't just leave Paul there on the floor." Ash nodded and glanced around for a place to put his half-eaten pizza. Pikachu jumped up, squeaking,"Pika pi!" Ash smiled crazily and exclaimed,"Here, Pikachu! Catch!" With that, the pizza was airborne. Pikachu caught the slice and sniffed the pizza hesitantly. His keen nose detected his favorite fruit. Tomatoes! (Er... Tomatoes are fruit, right?) It wasn't ketchup but Pikachu still bit the food happily. Brock and Ash were turning to Paul when Nurse Joy added,"Don't let his blood get on your skin. If it does, go wash it off quickly." The boys nodded and lifted up Paul, placing his arms around their shoulders. Together, they dragged Paul to yet another couch and left him there.

Nurse Joy glanced at Dawn and murmured,"I better clean her hands later." The girl's hands were still clasped as if Paul's hand was still there. They were stained a dark red from the blood that seeped from her scarf. Nurse Joy motioned for the boys to follow her to an empty table. They dragged out a chair and sat down, waiting for Nurse Joy's explanation. Nurse Joy took a seat but Ash wondered out loud,"Where is Pikachu with my pizza?" The electric mouse scampered in, nothing but the pizza crust chomped between his teeny teeth.

Ash looked shocked as he whined,"Pikachu! You ate my pizza!" Pikachu looked from the crust to Ash, shrugged, and popped the rest in his mouth. Ash groaned as his starter Pokemon chewed it up happily. Pikachu swallowed and clamored over to Ash, climbing up the chair and sitting on the table. Brock exhaled and asked,"How come you told us to not let any of Paul's blood on our hands? Dawn already has the stuff stuck to her." Nurse Joy hesitated and stated,"The Luxray that bit him... I think it had the PokeVirus."

Ash cocked his head and echoed,"PokeVirus? What's that?" Brock exclaimed,"I've never heard of it." Nurse Joy explained,"PokeVirus is a rare disease that plagues Pokemon. But when a Pokemon has it, it raises its stats a lot more than usual when it levels up." Brock glanced over to where Paul was still knocked out. "But if it powers up Pokemon, then what does it do to humans?" Nurse Joy pondered over it and responded,"I'm... not sure. I haven't seen a human infected with PokeVirus." Ash frowned and said,"Wait, if PokeVirus is actually helpful, why was the Luxray acting crazy?"

Nurse Joy replied,"The adrenaline rush they sustain is so over powering, any diseased Pokemon is so full of energy. They can't hold still, they are aware of everything. Their power, the opponent's strategy, that kind of stuff. It's what makes them stronger if they level up. They remember the stimulating rush that took over. Pokemon can only be infected once. It's like Torchic pox (Lolwut?) for humans." Brock nodded and he concluded,"So we have a guy infected with a virus that supposedly only affects Pokemon. Paul has a fever, severe coughing, and hacks up blood. That's three symptoms. Is there anything else we should be on the look out for?" Nurse Joy grimly replied,"Only time will tell."

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Author's Note: Is that a good place to end it? Meh, it is to me. I felt like ending it there because I have 8 papers in my Doc Manager. I'll be sure to make the chapters longer. Anyway, follow/favorite if you've enjoyed and I'll see you next chapter. K thnx bye.


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